BEIJING: China’s top market regulator said that a national platform designed to trace cold-chain imports has been established and gone into operation, as part of efforts to fend off risks of COVID-19 infections from overseas.
Nine provinces or cities that serve as the first point of entry for over 90 percent of all imported cold-chain food products arriving in China are now linked to the new platform, according to an article posted on the website of the State Administration for Market Regulation.
With the rollout of the platform, “We have basically expanded our online tracing capability to cover the entire industry chain from customs clearance, production and processing, to wholesaling, retailing and catering,” the administration said.
The platform also has played a significant role in screening cold imports online, implementing targeted supervision and facilitating on-site management. “The outcomes of efforts devoted to stemming virus risks arising from objects have begun to materialize,” it said. The administration has used advanced technologies to overcome barriers in identifying and consolidating different sets of information nationwide, it said. During a video conference held by the administration on Tuesday, local market regulators were required to institutionalize and upgrade online tracing platforms for cold-imports and accelerate efforts to merge with the national system.
Businesses should be urged to upload key data on cargoes’ origin, destination, quantity and location in a timely manner. When an abnormal situation arises, local officials should be able to swiftly screen all imports and identify suspicious batches, the administration said.
– The Daily Mail-China Daily News exchange item
